Solar power from Inden Mine: RWE commissions photovoltaic plant with battery storage

RWE is supplying solar power from Inden Mine in the district of Düren, North Rhine-Westphalia. The “RWE indeland Solarpark”, a utility-scale photovoltaic plant with integrated battery storage, is now operational. Around 26,500 modules collect sunlight to produce green electricity for more than 3,500 homes and the integrated battery storage system feed-in can be tailored to better meet demand. RWE invested approximately 11 million euros in this plant.

Katja Wünschel, CEO Onshore Wind and Solar Europe & Australia at RWE Renewables: “With the RWE indeland Solarpark we are making an important contribution towards the energy transition in Germany. And that is only the beginning. We will implement every possible wind and solar project in our home market. We are planning to invest around four billion euros gross into a green energy world by the end of the decade in North Rhine-Westphalia alone.”

Dr Lars Kulik, CTO Lignite at RWE Power: “The RWE indeland Solarpark is the visible manifestation of how structural change and energy transition can succeed. There is plenty of space for renewables facilities on the areas previously used for opencast mining. We will use it to ensure that the Rhenish lignite mining district will remain an energy location in the future.”

The RWE indeland Solarpark was built on a 15 hectare gravel site at the western edge of the Inden Mine. After the end of mining operations in 2029, the area will be at the edge of the lake. However, it will take two decades before water reaches this area – paving the way for the delivery of this innovative large-scale solar farm with battery storage.

The solar modules will produce a peak electric output of 14.4 megawatts. RWE has installed bifacial modules, which are photosensitive on both sides, the advantage being that in addition to sunlight hitting the panels directly, they also utilise the light reflected by the ground to the rear side of the modules. This makes these modules even more efficient. The battery storage system is designed for a two-hour charging and supply cycle of 9.6 megawatt hours, functioning as a buffer between generation and grid.

Integrated plant concept being implemented at several locations

Two similar plants are currently being built at Garzweiler Mine. There, RWE will combine more than 58,340 solar modules with two battery storage systems. The plant can supply more than 7,250 homes with green electricity. Another combined photovoltaic and storage plant is to be constructed in Hambach Mine. By 2030, RWE wants to build renewables plants with a minimum of 500 megawatts of capacity in the Rhenish lignite mining district alone.